[Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Buckinghamshire County Council.

  • Buckinghamshire (England). County Council. n 50052973.
Date:
1940
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Buckinghamshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/36 (page 8)
    SECTION B.—GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES. (i) LABORATORY FACILITIES. There is a small laboratory in the County Health Department principally for the examination of spu'ta and other material connected with the tuberculosis work of the County. Occasional samples of water and other materials are submitted to the Clinical Research Association for analysis and examination. Pathological examinations in connedtion with venereal diseases are carried out mainly at one of the London hospitals included in the London and Home Counties Scheme, and also at Northampton and Oxford. Examinations under the Food and Drugs Actsi. etc., are dealt with in the Chief Inspector’s Department, and his report is included under section D.(i) and (ii). E.xcellent pathological services have been provided at the Emer- gency Public Health Laboratories at Oxford. These services are available to local authorities' and medical practitioners in the County, which include the examination of specimens of sputa aa well as patho- logical examinations in connection with venereal and infectious disease. In addition, local authorities are able on application to obtain free supplies of A.P.T. for purposes of diphtheria immunisation and to utilise the services of the laboratories medical personnel to immunise the children. (ii) AMBULANCE FACILITIES. For the transport of the sick, first aid treatment and transfer of accident cases, an excellent motor ambulance service is provided by the Bucks Joint Committee of the Order of St. John and the British Red Cross Society. For the transport of cases of puerperal fever and puerperal pyrexia, or ophthalmia neonatorum, the ambulance service of the London County Council is used. In some instances the nearest local ambulance service is utilised. This also applies for the transport of maternity cases if no other means of transport can be obtained. (iii) HOSPITAL FACILITIES. The most important development in hospital services during the year has been the inception of a regional hospital scheme for this area through the agency of the Nuffield Trust. The area of the Regional Council comprises the administrative counties of Berks, Bucks and Oxon, with the county boroughs of Oxford and Reading. Within the region there are two divisional councils, one for Bucks and East Berks, and the other for the re- mainder of the area. It is not proposed, to set out in detail the aims of the Regional Council, as indeed at this stage it is to some extent feeling its way, but the purpose laid down in the Constitution is as follows:— “ The purpose of the Council shall be to keep under review any services, especially hospital services, which aim at the detection, treatment and prevention, of disease and of the treatment of injuries, and to initiate and promote research and any further services required for these purposes; to bring about a co-ordination of effort in such services both as between the hospital and statutory authorities and other bodies interested therein and as between one hospital and another, and to ensure that such services' in the Region are complete and efficiently provided.” While I think no one will gainsay the advantages to be gained by a uniform hospital policy within the region, it is perhaps unfortunate that the boundaries of the several regions are being defined alrnost entirely by local considerations and, without reference to the establish'!